Crash
by LostWyrda
Summary: Who would have thought that Tenoh Haruka, racer extraordinaire, would find herself in life danger in the hospital due to a car crash?  Not you, that's for sure. - How does Michiru react when Haruka has an accident? H&M


Crash

A crash.

A single, violent crash that had you awake for nearly three days worrying while she was considered to be in life danger.

A crash that had forced you to realize that what you feel is not friendship. A crash that had made you realize that you are deeply in love with your best friend and would probably die along with her if that was to be her fate.

* * *

><p>Who would have thought that Tenoh Haruka, racer extraordinaire, would find herself in life danger in the hospital due to a car crash?<p>

Not you, that's for sure.

You've always had this inner, almost irrational trust in her and in her abilities, so much so that when Setsuna had called you, telling you in a choked voice what had happened, laughter had bubbled from your throat, despite that bad feeling in your stomach that had caused you to skip a few notes while playing earlier.

A hysterical laugh that quickly died down when all that it was met with was a heavy silence.

That's when you realized that it was serious. So you had dropped what you were doing – abandoning a concert during a short break right at the middle – and grabbed a cab to the nearest airport. The woman at the ticket stand had stared at you in bewilderment as you practically demanded to be on the first and fastest flight to Tokyo but luckily enough, she didn't ask questions – being famous did have its props and you simply didn't care what would be in the magazines about you and your crazy diva demands the next day.

Despite everything that you have ever gone through, those six and a half hours spent trapped inside the plane, hurrying to get to her side, had probably become your worst memory.

People's heads turn as soon as you step in the hospital and you force back the sudden desire to tell them to mind their own business. You don't have the tendency to just snap at people but you are so incredibly nervous and so incredibly afraid for Haruka's life that you don't give a damn about courtesy. Still, extraordinary as it is, you were about ready to start spewing your frustration out at everyone but once you find yourself face-to-face with the receptionist, you can't say what it is that you're are doing in the hospital, dressed in the evening gown you wore to the concert. You can't tell her who it is that you are searching for.

The woman frowns and you support yourself with your hand on her desk, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly dizzy. It hits you then than you haven't eaten a thing in almost ten hours and coupled with the nervous wreck that you currently are, it's a recipe for disaster. The woman immediately rises from her chair and steadies you and you fake a smile, pretending to be fine while using all your strength to shrug it off. She asks if she can help you but you still can't force yourself to speak Haruka's name. Luckily enough, you don't have to. Setsuna's face, pale and tired with sunken eyes, suddenly appears in your field of vision. Her hand is cold and her grip on your arm is firm as she leads you down the seemingly never ending corridors until you find yourself alone in a room filled with the sound of beeping machines, so acute that they hurt your ears slightly.

You take a few, stumbling steps towards the bed, hesitantly slow. Haruka is ghostly pale, so much so that her skin is almost the same tone as the sheets. Her body is involved in bandages and bandages and more bandages, almost as if they are the only thing keeping her in one piece. Her face is filled with cuts and bruises and my God, you've seen her in really rough condition considering your missions as Senshi, but this… this surpasses everything else. Her damaged appearance absolutely terrifies you.

You carefully sit down right at the edge of the mattress and slowly reach out for her hand, gingerly taking hold of it. You intertwine your fingers with hers and whisper her name.

She doesn't respond.

You squeeze her hand and give it a slight tug. She remains motionless, no alteration whatsoever in her steady but weakened breathing, the monitor revealing her heartbeat and blood pressure continuing unchanged.

And the reality of the situation just crashes down on you.

The door opens suddenly and two arms wrap around you, pulling you into a firm embrace. You feel restrained and try to release yourself, wanting to shake Haruka awake, but the hold on you only tightens. The dizziness from earlier returns tenfold and you try to breathe in through your anguished sobs – you only then realize that you're crying. But you can't. The much needed air just seems to be unable to reach your lungs and you suddenly can't breathe.

The last thing you see before everything blacks out is Setsuna's worried face as she supports your whole body weight when you crumble down to the floor.

* * *

><p>They told you what was happening to her but only in a very light way, not wanting to trigger another violent reaction from you. They weren't going to lie to you – Haruka was in a pretty battered condition and was in a coma so that her body would be able to 'repair' itself, but they were waiting for a quick recovery. They had been hoping for her to wake up, having thought that it would be just a passing phase, but she hadn't. That's when her situation was updated to critical.<p>

Still, they weren't aware exactly how serious the situation was.

Being a Senshi and being in a coma for three days and not showing any signs of a recovery… that's what revealed that she was really bad. Usagi and the other girls had come to see her but for only some brief moments – used as they are to the powerful image of Uranus, they couldn't stand seeing Haruka lying on a bed, not moving, barely looking alive if not for the slight movement of her chest and the steady beating of her heart. The Princess had locked herself in the room with her, asking everyone to step outside for a few moments, wanting to see if there was anything she could do to help. When she came out, tears in her blue eyes, something died inside of you. You had hoped that maybe Usagi would be able to fix her, but the girl had tried without success.

You had plainly refused to leave the hospital, ignoring the annoyed doctors and thanking the nurses for their concern, camping in her room and making sure that you occupied as less space as you could so you wouldn't disturb their work. You don't want to leave because you have this irrational fear that if you leave, something will happen to her.

There's something linking the two of you together since the very beginning; that has never been up for discussion. The strength of this bond had only grown with time and you had this feeling deep inside of you that your presence next to her was somehow helping her, maybe tying her to life.

Why, you do not know.

* * *

><p>Haruka's fingers twitch.<p>

It's not the first time it happens and the doctors had told you that the twitching was nothing but an involuntary muscle spasm but your heart still raced whenever it happened. So you talked; you talked and you cried and you begged for her to wake up. But, two whole weeks had passed since the crash and there had been little change in Haruka's condition – she had regained some color and the scrapes and bruises were fading but the bandages were still there and her eyes had yet to open.

Setsuna had somehow managed to kick you out of the room for enough time for you to go home, shower and change clothes but you'd be back no later than twenty minutes after. The media had been doing an extremely exhausting cover on Haruka's life and her accident and that was only another motivation to hurry and get back to the hospital as soon as you can so you won't have to see or hear about it.

Another twitch.

You move your hands and hold hers between them, providing warmth and heating her skin, squeezing gently, a subtle move to reassure yourself that she's alive and breathing and fighting. And the unexpected happens.

She squeezes back.

It's weak and it's slow and if you hadn't been looking you'd think that it was a product of your wishful imagination, but it's there. A few seconds pass before she does it again, her grip firmer than before. Your eyes are immediately covered with a sheen of tears and your heart beat is echoing in your ears, loud and powerful. Haruka is doing what you had hoped for. Fumbling while reaching for the commands of the bed, you press the button for the bell and throw it to a corner again, reaching quickly for her hand again.

Practically instantly, a nurse is in the room. You tell her what happened in a trembling voice, words jumping and mixing with your excitement but she somehow understands. She immediately jumps to action and checks over the monitors, but you are barely aware of that. Your eyes are fixed on Haruka's hand, staring at it intently as if willing it to move again.

But she doesn't.

You frown. You can't accept that this that she just did is involuntary. It can't be. She has to be trying to come back. You _need_ her to be trying to come back. You are barely aware of the nurse's movements as she comes closer to you, a sympathetic smile in her face – no doubt she had dealt with cases such as this one many times.

You lower your head until your forehead meets her hand, whispering a soft plea against her skin. "Haruka… Please."

You repeat those two words for who knows how long. An incessant mantra filled with all your despair and all your anguish, filled with all your hope, throat tightening more and more until your voice comes out choked and barely perceptible.

Until it just completely dies out once you start crying.

You hadn't cried since that first moment when you laid eyes on her on this very same bed, instead bottling up your emotions in an attempt of convincing yourself that all was well. It had worked ridiculously well. But now, having had that hope that she was waking up and having it taken away from you just as quickly, it dawns on you. She may not awake ever again. You may never have the opportunity to look into Haruka's eyes, see Haruka's smile, and hear Haruka's voice. Your heart throbs in overwhelming pain and you honestly believe that you are about to die.

But then, the hand moves beneath you and turns slowly, lifting your head until you are facing its owner.

Deep green eyes stare down at you, slightly unfocused. "Michiru." Haruka says in voice made raspy from days of not being used.

And you faint.

* * *

><p>It was a miracle, they had said.<p>

Apparently, they had hid far more from you than you thought they had and had in fact been lying. Considering the hit Haruka had taken to the head, the doctors had not been expecting her to wake up. Ever.

But she had.

She had and she was having a wondrous recovery and was maybe a tad too impatient to leave the hospital. As such, the racer was giving her all to somehow prove that she was in conditions to go home, so much so that she was already trying to leave the bed the day she woke up, a week ago – needless to say that had not ended well and when you came to your senses, she was the one who was about to pass out.

Yet, that had been a week ago. Now, you yourself believed that there was no need for her to be in the hospital – she could do everything by herself and the latest exams showed that everything was well with her physiologically – if it wasn't for the faint scratches that were once deep gashes, it would seem that nothing had ever happened. The doctors were perplexed and slightly fascinated with her case and you feared that they might try to keep her for no reason other than studying her. But thankfully, that hadn't happened. So, without any reason to keep her committed, Haruka had received the clearance to go home.

Paparazzi were practically spilling into the health care facilities, trying to get a picture of the great Tenoh as proof of her brush with death, as they called it. The accuracy of that description never failed to make you feel sick. Despite your slight breakdown when she woke up, you hadn't shown any other outward indication that the memory of the incident was upsetting you, not wanting to be a burden to anyone. But, deep down, you knew that you wouldn't be able to keep a straight face for much longer. You could practically feel it bubbling beneath your skin, begging and fighting for release.

The lightheartedness with which Haruka was facing the situation left you even more unsettled – she was acting as if nothing had happened. At first you'd been preoccupied – what if she had memory loss? – but it made itself clear that this was her way of dealing with the occurred. You hadn't been expecting her to ever have a car crash; you can only imagine what she must feel like.

You are momentarily blinded as you both step out of the hospital, flashes of cameras and microphones invading your personal space, crazed voices asking questions and screaming your friend's name as you both walk to Setsuna's waiting car. You tighten your grip on one of her bags – the only one she had allowed you to carry after much debate – swallowing down your frustration. As usual, Haruka breezes through the questions, giving them just the enough to satisfy them while at the same time making them want more, and you kind of shut down, following her lead as she makes way to the vehicle. That is, until she speaks.

"Hey, Setsuna!" she smiles charmingly. "Let me drive!"

The green haired woman frowns at her, obviously torn. It was something normal, of course, for Haruka to ask to drive but, before she could pass her the keys, you step in. "No."

"What?" the blonde asks in disbelief.

"Setsuna is driving." You say in a firm voice. "Don't argue with me. Please."

The blonde looks at you for a few moments, uncaring of the flashes surrounding you. She nods in a curt, obviously annoyed way, avoiding your gaze as she slides into the passenger seat and you allow a small sigh of relief to escape your lips. You don't want her driving, not so soon after the accident, and you only hope that she won't be too mad at you for your attitude.

* * *

><p>You're in love with her, you realize one afternoon a few weeks after she's released. It is so painfully obvious that you find yourself laughing out loud at yourself for not realizing earlier. It's slightly ridiculous. But people do tend to say that those that are more directly involved with the situation are always the last ones to understand what is going on. You suppose they are right.<p>

"What's so funny?" Asks Haruka, head popping from beneath the car where she'd been working in something which name you don't remember, mainly because you don't understand a thing about mechanics, not because she didn't explain.

You tilt your head so she can see you, momentarily distracting yourself from the easel you were working on, sending a smile her way. "Nothing important."

She scratches her head, inadvertently spreading a bit of oil in her skin, leaving back a black smear. "Really? Tell me."

You shake your head playfully. "No."

"Come on, Michiru!"

"There's no point, Haruka. I've already forgotten."

She sighs, a bit too dramatically, before disappearing beneath the car again, voice slightly muffled as she speaks. "Fine."

The vehicle apparently needed a bit more maintenance than usual, considering Haruka had not touched the wheel ever since she got released, and you know she hasn't because of your reaction at the hospital. You honestly don't know what to make of it – in one way, you are slightly relieved that she doesn't; in another, you are concerned for her since you know that driving is an escape from daily life for her.

You shake your head in a rather brusque way – it was time for you to stop acting as questioning and hesitant around her. She had an accident. It can happen to anyone, right? It wasn't her fault and from now on she'll probably be more careful. So, with that thought in mind you go back to your work, enjoying the gentle wind caressing your skin and feeling completely at ease with the occasional sounds of her rummaging in the car.

Later, when the temperature starts dropping and the soft orange glow cast by the sun is barely enough to warm you, Haruka emerges from beneath the metal again, rising to her feet and wiping her hands on a rag. She has a soft, satisfied smile playing at her lips and you can't help but smile too. She moves quietly until she stands behind you, sneaking a glance at your work as you give the last, finishing touch to the canvas, the heat of her breath and body sending a shiver down your spine as you slowly stand.

"How long have you been waiting for me?" she whispers.

Forever you think, but you know that's not what she wants meant with her question. "What do you mean?" you answer instead, head tilting sideways slightly as if in offering.

"I know we've been here for a while, Michiru. It doesn't take you that long to finish a painting."

You don't have to look at her to know she's smirking. She knows you too well. "I don't mind waiting for you, Haruka." You whisper, and the sound of your voice rings with a heaviness that brings a blanket of silence over you.

She doesn't answer. You fear for a moment, irrationally, that your words have revealed more than you intended. But then her arms wrap around your waist and bring you tightly back against her body, the small weight of her chin settling comfortably on your shoulder and anchoring you to reality. Your breathing hitches while hers only seems to deepen, and a few moments pass before you relax back in her hold, head dropping back against her own shoulder. "I don't mind waiting for you either."

You are incapable of doing anything other than smiling.

A few long – yet not long enough – minutes later, Haruka shifts behind you, arms unlocking from around you and dropping. She steps back and you immediately shiver once her warmth leaves you, feeling as if something is lacking in you from her distance. Still, you swallow it down and turn around to face her, somehow managing to smile at her.

Her eyes travel over your face and her hand slowly rises, softly stroking your cheek. "Michiru?"

"Yes?" you say breathlessly.

"Let's go for a ride?" Her voice is filled with uncertainty and you know that if you said no, she wouldn't go alone either.

So you nod, laughing as her features immediately lighten up in joy. You knew she missed driving and the truth was that you missed being by her side while she drove. You had been incredibly drawn in to her presence since the moment your first saw her and the ease with which she did anything, with which she drove, had only served to increase your fascination and make you itch even more to meet her. So that had been what you had asked of her once you spoke.

And, while you are driving next to the sea, the wind blowing your hair in your eyes, you can finally breathe in freely since the crash.

And the way she smiles makes it rather obvious that she feels the same way.

* * *

><p>It happens three months later.<p>

Soon after your drive, Haruka had gone back to her career and, to the surprise of everyone who didn't know her, had resumed her racing as if nothing had happened. She'd quickly raced back to the top in a practically effortless way and that had only served to reinforce her status as one of the best – if not the best. So now here you were, standing at the sidelines at the final race of the innumerous championships she'd participated in, watching as her car passed by in the lead.

She wants to win.

She always does but you could tell that there's something else in this race, what you don't know. But her opponents are good, you can tell. Not better than her, but enough to make her have to actually try. It's the final lap and as such she's going faster and faster and faster, shooting well forward and leaving no space to wonder who it is that is going to take the first place. But there's a tight curve approaching and she doesn't slow.

And her car swerves.

It's happens only for a few seconds before she takes control of the vehicle again and it's not the first time that you see her do something of the likes, but it's too much. Your hand rises and presses against your chest, feeling the rapid hammering of your heart against your ribcage. Your breathing is fast and your feeling slightly dizzy, barely looking outside in time to see Haruka crossing the finish line and getting out of the car, waving at the screaming audience in victory.

You push aside bodies in your haste to get away, sucking in a lungful of air once there is no one around you and you are safely inside her locker room. You take in a deep, shaky breath, risking a glance at a mirror hanging in a wall.

You're pale.

You're trembling.

You're losing control, the tight control you'd kept over your emotions so you wouldn't break down.

Haruka bursts the door open loudly a good while later, a smile in her face as she says goodbye to a few fans. It immediately drops when her eyes fix on you. Her mouth stays open for a few moments before she steps towards you hesitantly, gaze searching and brow furrowed in confusion.

"Michiru?" her voice is soft as she moves closer. "Are you alright?"

You try to answer, you honestly do, but the knot in your throat is so big it's painful. So you shake your head instead. She exhales loudly and raises her arms to hold you but you evade her, turning to the wall and resting your forehead against the cool surface, taking a few moments to compose yourself. You're right next to the mirror so you can see her utterly lost expression while she raises a hand to brush her hair from her sweaty forehead, and you feel sorry for her. You know you're acting strange but it's stronger than you.

"Michiru…" she whispers, sitting down on a nearby chair. "What is going on?"

You force down a scoff, turning to face her. "What was that out there, Haruka? Do you have any idea how I felt when I saw your car swerve?"

"It's not the first time you see that." She answers, frowning. "What's different this time?"

"What's different…?" you repeat incredulously. And you are suddenly angry, angry at yourself and angry at her and angry at everyone else. "Let me remind you in case you don't remember." You say in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "You had an accident, Haruka. You nearly died."

She throws her head back and sighs in exasperation. "But I didn't! I'm fine. I'm alive and breathing!" she points to the door "And that outside is something that I've done countless times! I'm not dead."

"But you could be!" you cry out, your fear showing itself loud and clear. "You could be, Haruka. You have no idea, no idea, how hard it was to see you lying on that bed, silent and unmoving, and having to somehow consider the possibility of you never waking up again!" a sob escapes your lips and she instantly jumps to her feet, moving to hold you yet again. But you push her away, pounding your fists against her chest while a tear runs down your cheek. Your mouth opens and closes silently, a ragged breath escaping you. "I was so scared Haruka… so scared that you'd eventually let go since there was nothing tying you down… If you were to die, I know that I would've died along with you."

"But why, Michiru?" she asks in a serious tone, not making any effort whatsoever to stop you.

"Because I love you!" you say loudly, fists slowing until your hands are resting against her chest. "Because I love you and I honestly don't know what would be of me if anything were to-"

Her lips crash against yours, effectively cutting off the rest of your words.

Her kiss is demanding, bruising almost, filled with an underlying sense of desperation as her hands rise to your face, tilting your head up so she can partake of you more easily. You match all that you're given, your whole body humming with electricity as she pulls you closer and closer and closer to her until there is no distance separating you and you think that she's been holding back for as long, if not longer, as you have.

You're left breathless when she pulls away, just slightly, feeling dizzy for entirely different reasons than before. You don't open your eyes as she bumps her forehead softly against yours, trying to control your breathing while feeling completely an utterly content.

"Don't you know that I'll never leave you, Michiru?" she whispers, nuzzling you gently. "Don't you know I'll always find a way to come back? Don't you know that you are my reason for living? I'll always find my way to you, Michiru. I promise." She kisses you quickly before you manage to respond. "I love you."

You wrap your arms around her torso once you break apart, allowing yourself to just crash against her.

And she's there, holding you together while you let yourself go, all fears forgotten when faced with her embrace.

* * *

><p><em>AN<em>

_Hey guys!_

_So, I don't think I've ever skipped scenes so many times but I think the result wasn't choppy was it? _

_Anyways, I hope you liked this one-shot. It's the first time I try second person POV with Michiru so tell me how it was! Also, I avoided any diagnosis but I kind of went with Haruka having Senshi powers and as such having an easy recovery – sorry if that didn't seem realistic._

_Thanks for reading and reviewing, as always!_

_Until next time, _

_LostWyrda_

_PS: Sorry I haven't updated Assassin's Tango but it's been a few busy weeks filled with exams and I only had time to type approximately 1500 words of the next chapter… don't worry, I don't plan to take much longer to update! (I haven't forgotten! xD) maybe by the end of the week I'll have a new chapter since I won't be home for the next 4 days and no pc or internet connection will be available -.-"_

_Bye!_


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